Method of dissolving gases in liquids for the purpose of keeping alive aquatic animals and water-plants.



Nb. 754,317. PATENTED MAR. 8, 1904.

I F. KALTENBGGER & N. L. VON LIBURNAU.

METHOD OF DISSOLVING GASES IN LIQUIDS FOR THE PURPOSE OI KEEPING ALIVE AQUATIC ANIMALS AND WATER PLANTS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14, 1903. N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES I Patented March 8, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

FERDINAND KALTENEGGER, OF BRIXEN, AND NORBERT LORENZ VON LIBURNAU, OF WEIDLINGAN, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY;

METHOD OE DISSOLVING GASES IN LIQUIDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF KEEPING ALIVE AQUATIC A NIMALS AND WATER-PLANTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 7 54,317, dated March 8, 1904.

Application filed August 14, 1903." time No. 169,511. (No specimens.)

tria-Hungary, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Methods of Dissolving Gases in Liquids for the Purpose of Keeping Alive Aquatic Animals and Water-Plants,

of which the following-is a specification.

Living organisms-such as aquatic animals, or their eggs, (spawn,) water plants, &c. which are kept in vessels for transport in fishincubators, aquaria, or similar receptacles containing water require under any circumstances dissolved gasesin particular, dissolved oxygenfor breathing and for remaining alive. These methods and arrangements by means of which it has been endeavored to incorporate gases in liquids by simply distributing-the gases in'a finely-divided condition within the liquid, and thereby reducing them into small bubbles, are not suflicient for the object aimed,

at, because the little bubbles pass through the liquid very quickly and then escape from the same. For this reason only a very small percentage of the gas will effectively be dissolved notwithstanding the relatively great consumption of gas.

The present invention relates to a method for obtaining as high as possible a percentage of the dissolved gasthat is to say, to dissolve as considerable a part as possible of the quantity of gas introduced into the liquid, while at the same time as small as possible a part of the quantity of gas is allowed to escape unused from the liquid in the shape of bubbles. Besides the improved method allows to obtain that with an economical consumption of gas the high percentage of dissolved gas is continuously maintained and that the admission of fresh gas is eiiected in the same measure as the gas contained in the solution is being consumed by the organisms.

According to the present invention the hereinbefore-stated requirement of a high and at the same time constant percentage of dissolved 'face of the receptacle.

gas is obtained by means of a diaphragm,

through which the gases required by the living organisms contained in a liquid for their respiration pass" under pressure, whereupon they enter into the liquid. During thisproceeding a supersaturated gaseous solution is produced in the interior space of the humid body of the diaphragm by the pressure the gas exercises on the latter, the said solution entering into osmotic, interchange with the liquid surrounding the diaphragm, whereby the liquid is enriched in dissolved gas by the diffusion of the gaseous solution into the surrounding liquid. The non-dissolved remainder of the gas, the amount of which varies within wide limits, depending upon the nature of the gas employed, escapes from the diaphragm in the shape of very small bubbles, which while rising slowly in the liquid dissolve either entirely or partly, according to the size of the surface, the duration of their rising, and the velocity of the bubbles.

In order to carry out the hereinbefore-characterized method with an economical consumption of gas and in a manner well adapted and advantageous for the purpose viewed, an arrangement is employed, which is shown dia-, grammaticallyin the accompanying drawing. The said arrangement consists of a source of ,gas aof any kind-for example, a bottle filled with oxygenand communicating with a re-. duction-valve b of well-known construction, which is connected to a conduit cl, leading to a body g-for example, a hollow porous-stone block-constituting the diaphragm and arranged in the receptacle within the liquid containing the living organisms. The diaphragm is preferably formed in the shape of acylinder or a sphere, and its maximum horizontal crosssectional area is one-tenth of the bottom sur- With receptacles for transport,&c., the wholearrangement may be placed on the bottom of the space filled with liquid and containing the living organisms. If itis desired that'the gas coming from a source of gas of a variable pressure, such as a bottle or other receptacle filled with compressed gas, and conveyed into the diaphragm by means of result may be obtained, for example, by di-- viding the interior hollow of the cylinder by a partition-wallintotwo spaces connected together by a very narrow tube It. The gas fiowingdrom the reduction-valve into the stoning-space" is consequently stowed in the compartment beforethe partition and can flow oil" throu'gh'the much narrower aperture of the tube h-only with a much lesser velocity. its the gas contained in the stoWing-space will acquire by this reason approximately coni stant veloeity and pressure independent from the constancy or variability of the pressure of the gas source, the amount of gas flowing oii through tube h will always be practically the same: Thus approximately constant quantities'of gas' will always be fed in the unit of time to the diaphragm through the stowing arrangement, which has the same efiiect as a valve, and thereby secures an economical consumption of gas and a constant percentage of dissolved gas.

Having described the invention, What We claim is 1. A method of keeping alive aquatic organisms consisting of supplying to a body of liquid, through a permeable body, a solution containing a life-maintaining element.

2. A method of keeping alive aquatic organisms consisting of supplying to a body of liquid, through a permeable'body, a solution containing a life-maintaining gas.

3. A method of keeping alive aquatic organisms consisting of supplying a solution containing a life-n1aintaining element to a body of Water, through a permeable body, in such Water.

a. A method of keeping alive aquatic organisms consisting in dissolving a life-maintaining gas iii liquid contained in a hollow porous vessel or chamber.

5. A method of keeping alive aquatic organisms consisting 1n OlISSOlVlDg a life-maintaining gas, supplying the gas to a body of Water in a stream of uniform velocity and pressure -.and in subsequently charging the solution into a body of Water, through a permeable body in such Water.

in testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing Witnesses. I

' FERDINAND KALTENEGGER.

NURHERT LORENZ "VON Lllillltliilll. Witnesses:

Annonn Ernest,

Anvns'ro Hoenn 

